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World of hurt

New jobs are tough. New jobs and saying goodbye to a lost love is double tough. The thought ‘I am gonna fucking drink this all away.’ popped up. So, time to write and sort stuff out. What is in the way, is The Way and whatever it takes is what it takes. 😦 Not enjoying this road down into the darkness of loss and loneliness. And then again: if I am not enjoying this? Why am I here, looking at it? Energy flows where attention goes. I mean, I might as well go do something nice which brings me pleasure, not? 🙂 Yeah, that would be a good idea. 🙂 Not there yet though. Guess I always need to go through the dark stuff in order to work in out. Here goes the rollercoaster on its way down. Not promising a way up but let’s see if I can get there. 🙂

So, what happened? I’m in a new job where I need to get the company ready for a certification and the general quality of the staff who actually needs to bring a certain quality of produce is lower than I had expected. So I consulted with my boss to get two of my former collegues in; the nice guy and his collegue friend. Both of them get on very well together, are good workforce, likeable and communicate well at the workfloor. And… more importantly: they had been talking about leaving and wanting to get away continuously for a year so I thought they were interested in a new function. The nice guy even asked me for a job when I told him where I worked. However, my boss’ firm also supplies the holding of my former employer so… we can not make it too obvious, that would be unpolite-ish. I sent a Facebook message to both ex-collegues to check out a vacancy site and to call me after. Can’t make it too obvious because of the damage my old boss could do to my new boss. The vacancy description was vague in order not to alert my former company. And then the guys never called. And they did not read my next message checking up on them. I phoned the nice guy on the number he had left me to be a reference and somebody with another name picked up. In the conversation that followed I noticed that the person picking up was very drunk and possibly stoned too because way out there and very giggly and sluggish speach. I could not make out if it was the nice guy or not. I can not imagine him giving me the wrong number for a reference. I can imagine him being totally angry with me, specifically after what follows:

Last night I dreamed that the nice guy met. He and I have been in love with eachother on and off over the last year but it never connected because of my doubts, his doubts and the scary boss combined. Everybody tried to put us together, both male and female collegues and the boss. After a while he reacted with anger and despise to that, towards me, I felt that he was reacting to the confusion. But maybe he did indeed despise me. Dunno. And then he would turn around and be ultra nice again. Confusing and painfull but I had other things on my mind: surviving my boss sober. Well, last night I dreamed that we saw each other today and that we did not speak because he thought that I thought that he was not good enough for me blablablabla. And I was too flabbergasted to say something, felt unwanted and denied. It left me crying when waking up. Being dream-met with despise and doubt was hurtful.

Today I left work early. On my way home on my bike the nice guy was oncoming traffic on the bike path. I could not believe the strange world I was travelling in. I mean, Amsterdam is not big, it is a 1.000.000 people village but to meet somebody? On that stretch we have a 10 second window to actually meet eachtother. His workinghours are normally way later. The ‘nice’ guy saw me and turned even darker than his mood was / looks already were. Shit he looked bad; all bloated and at least 10 kilo’s heavier than I had last seen him. And dark, dark, dark, brooding, in psychological pain, haunted, angry. He did not say anything. He did not stop. I only looked at him in a sort of neutral face, not smiling, just being internally checking myself if I was still sane. This strange mix up of the dream world with the daily world was confusing. Seeing him and his face turning angry was very hurtful. When I came home I unfriended both ex-collegues on Facebook. And now I am sad. Having difficulty holding myself together. Falling apart here. The betrayal is big.

The above happen last Friday.

Useless inbetween story: The other day I had dreamed of the bookstoreman and he became oncomming traffic too. He ignored me too. It is a strange world in which I travel. You know, I have been wishing that things would become clear, would unfold. That I would get proof of the weirdness of my life, of the energetic connection between people. That it is indeed possible to communicate ‘through the air’ (yes this is getting even more weird ;-)) with people as I have suspected all my life. At the evening I met the bookstoreman I biked through Amsterdam deciding ‘on feel’ what route to take to the place where I need to go and then, like a sniffer dog, bike into the person I was looking for. I was so sure I would meet him I had taken the books I still ow him. I don’t know where he lives or works or, well. I do not know anything about him since a year. But it is possible. I know, that is why it is happening. And fuck they don’t give a shit. That is also possible unfortunately. 😦

I am guessing that this is a point where I could go insane or possibly move into a psychoses or so. Well, that’s how it feels. And sorry to be putting these vague experiences onto you. This is where I am logging my experiences on the strange road to clarity and through the dark fields that sobriety can bring. The weirdness of these happenings have a cross over quality of the dream state into the daily state. And I guess it is true that there is much more ‘out there’ and possible. Not sure how to incorperate it into my own life without having the feeling I am losing my sanity. Worrying about that makes turns up the pressure by the way. Better to sit back and see where it takes me without opinion, without wanting to pin it down. But that scares me. The tendency to judge, to have an opinion has the function to make life comprehendable but it also limits the experience, cuts it off, breaks it into pieces which can be judged and clung to instead of giving myself the ability to see the whole, overwhelming, picture. I wish I had somebody who could help me with this.

I am so sad. I feel despised and I have no clue as to why. Why ask me to put in a word with the boss and then not react to a vacancy? Why not contact me? Why pass me by while looking me right in the face. What the fuck did I do?! Or maybe; what the fuck did my boss tell him. There’s also a possiblity. Or maybe he is not really happy that I move on and make more money than he does now. He often told me that he feels like a loser who has done bad with his life and career. I don’t know and there is little use trying to work out why and what and try to think for him. Need to let go.

So, again, I have proven that I fall for guys who do not like me. Fuck this hurts. Fuckerthefuckfuckfuck. Well, no fuck, that’s the problem. Sigh. Funny thing; why, if I think to, at times, have the ability to open up to another experience world where things like biking through town and meeting the person you were looking for, do I not ‘imagine’ that to be somebody who likes me. 😀 Ghegheghe… funny, not? I don’t think it works that way; it is not me sending these guys to meet me. It is me opening up to the energy of these people and energetically sniffing them out in another plane. I do not think it is such a strange thing to do. Not sure if that means I am crazy or just have a different experience.

I dislike having to sort issues like this out in my probation time. In the 2 weeks I have been in this firm I have built up a 160 item to do list. The consultants guiding the company through the process doubt if we can make the certification in such a short period but my boss has committed himself to the shareholders and some important big new clients. I have been stepping up to meet the expectations of this job in these 2 weeks. I feel like I have only done a tiny percentage of what I have to do. Every day I grow in the way I conduct myself, the way I organise, in the 3 kilo procedures and legislations I read, the new software I study, the abbreviations. Every day I bike the 20-25 minutes home and try to relax and put it out of my head. I realise that I feel insufficient, always have. That I think I need to make up for some failing I have. That I am never good enough. That someday people will find out and hang me.

The other day I thought that with being sober for more than 2 years at a first try, I now belong the the 1% of people who actually did that. I am not proud because I know I had to otherwise I would be dead. So, I mean, that’s not really a choice is it? Then this 1% combined with another thought where I once did a nationwide schooltest and scored a 99% score. That meant that only 1% of the kids of that year in the Netherlands scored better than I did. I came home and at proudly telling this to my parents my fathers first reaction was; “Yeah, I always thought that you lacked something” – can’t remember the exact words. They cut deep. The other day I tried to think myself complete by adding the 1% to the 99%.

I don’t want this life anymore. I find it too difficult to be me. Not sure how other people do that; be them. It hurts. Things hurt and I have no clue as to find what I am looking for. I always feel incomplete. Broken. The book on the lost twins described that nicely how people who have lost a twin keep on treating every person they meet as their lost twin: trying to connect at hearts level. I do that. I get personel even before I know your name, well sort of but yeah, almost literally. I open up like we have know eachother for 20 years. All in the search for that what I feel I am missing. The rest of me.

Somehow the thought of being in a relation gives me the idea of being whole. But I know from experience that this is not so. It does not take long for me to feel locked up in a relation. So many things I do not understand about life. I see a lot of people who are in a relation and miserable. Sometimes I think I would prefer that. I know it takes me 5 minutes of that misery to realise that I don’t.

Loneliness, it is the longing version of being alone. We have needs and we have desires. Loneliness as I have the longing version after somebody who is obviously not into me is the desire version. It is like addiction. I had the need to relax, wind down and hurt less and I desired alcohol.

Ok, now to get out all the nastyness out of my system: it has taken me exactly 2 weeks to fall in love with my new boss. (yes, go ahead, unfriend this miserable moaning blog, I think I would… literally). Which is one of the reasons why I felt so much in need of the nice guy because that would be a good distraction. Not? Whoops, so much for ‘love’; “I am in love with somebody else which is unsuitable, yet again, but you can serve as a nice distraction.” Gosh. You! Yeah you reading this: when in a relation, stick with what you have. It is messy out here. 😀

Sigh. My god, how did I ever survive me? Ooh yeah, I did not. I drank. Ok, so currently I am ‘only’ sorting out what I should have learned as a teenager. Double sigh. Tripple sigh. {Insert harsh language of your liking} {Repeat}

Notice how my post get erratic and long now I did not meditate for a week? I find that interesting.

It is Monday today, spoke with my new boss. He had received a call from my former boss about not taking her staff on last Thursday. Guess that explains why the ‘nice’ guy did not speak with me. Somehow it came out somewhere. Not sure how. I guess I will never know because ‘nice’ guys is not going to tell me I guess. Lucky me I have a conversation online where he asks me for a job and yes I will show that to my new boss. Shit this hurts and it is no way I would like to start a new job but I guess if one does something which is not 100% kosher the results will be as unsavery.

My boss informed me that he did not want to tell me my former boss had called. I was so shaken that I left it at that. He very much dislikes her, he used to work with her and actually finds her very unlikable. 😦 Boss gossip.

Back to Sunday. Yesterday I called my sister in law, we had video contact and her 12 year old son walks into the conversation saying something. I did not reply immediately at which he replied: “Are you traumatised now?! Dad says you are traumatised soooo easily.” At which my SIL sort of starts laughing in a ‘this is funny but you are not supposed to say that’ and (so?) he repeats; “Yes! That says that you are soooo easily traumatised, he does!” At which he started laughing. I unplugged Facebook and shut down both my phones immediately. I have deleted all messenges since without reading or listening and I have replied to them today that I do not want contact. To hear this demeaning comments about the man who in his earlier year egged on his friends to assault me, threaten me, rape me, who put a knife to my throat, who lied about everything to my parents, who did not object if anybody made untrue comments or statements about any of it. Who stood by chuckling at my powerlessness during all this. I had no response. Still do not. My SIL made the same ‘let’s not take this serious’ kind of noises which were so very, very familiar. I was afraid of this coming up. This remark about being traumatised has run through conversations earlier, the kids fence with it whenever I comment on them being insensitive about something. My brother has mentioned it earlier.

Not sure when there is an end to the pain.Guess there will be because there always is at some point.

I am happy that I quit. If I had not I am pretty sure I would have killed myself over this. This backstabbing from various directions all at the same time. 😦

I have learned by now that pain goes away after a while. That I need to take care of me. That no matter what I always have myself. It is a lonely disposition. Currently I prefer it to people. However I did call friends to speak with. And one of them even said: how good of you to call, this is different from where you came from. 🙂 So I guess that is progress.

I find it difficult to concentrate at work. 😦 And my to do list has gotten up to 165 items in these 2 weeks that I work there. All items are tasks of at least 2 hours. One could call it job security. I feel insecure wether I can actually do this. Scared that my former boss spoke ill of me about this. Off to bed. Need to be sharp tomorrow. A woman who loves herself would love herself and not run for the pain, acknowledge it but possibly not make it my dayjob. I have another dayjob. Need to get through my probation time.

7 thoughts on “World of hurt”

You don’t really know what happened with your ex colleague. You are thinking one way but you don’t know for sure. We can cause ourselves SOOO much pain doing that. Our brain loves to replay the same old sad story over and over again which inevitably causes us more pain. Now you are believing your story and it is making you feel bad. You are putting yourself down over a story that you don’t even know is true. There could be so many reasons why your ex colleague did not contact you regarding the job position. You said he had gained weight and looked bloated. Something has changed. You have to let this go. Every time your brain wants to bring the story up you need to stay STOP. Move on. You have a new job. You were brave enough to stand up to your old boss. You have a bright future. Leave the past behind. You tried to do the right thing and it wasn’t accepted. That is their problem and not yours.

One thing I know about children is that they are too honest for their own good. I am sure that your nephew did not mean to hurt you. He was repeating adult conversation. You don’t need to feel bad about it. If anyone does it should be your sister in law for being caught out by her own son. He was being a reflection of her. You can’t live your life believing what other people think of you. It is what YOU THINK ABOUT YOURSELF that matters. That is all that matters. If other people choose to think differently then that is their decision. You don’t have to own their opinion. Can you see how that situation with your nephew caused you to reflect on the past, on a story of pain. Once again the brain played that story to you over and over causing you pain. The brain has a million sad images and memories all stored up waiting to justify our thoughts at the time. It can replay sad stories all day long if we allow it.

You are a reader, like myself. I have enjoyed a number of books you recommended to me. Have you read any of Byron Katie? She uses a format called “The Work” which is basically four questions that we use with every thought causing us pain. It is simple but very affective. I personally have found her method very helpful in looking at my thoughts in a different way. Right now I am reading a book by Dr Joe Dispenza. You can watch him on youtube. He talks about the brain and how our thought life can cause us so much damage. He talks about hardwiring of our brain by allowing our negative thoughts to run rampant. Our brain becomes so used to negativity and sadness that it readily supplies hundreds of picture images from the past to back up our sad story. He talks about meditation as a way of re training our negativity and turning it around for positive. It is all new to me but I love the science behind it. Once again I am learning a lot and can see how I myself have punished myself over and over with my thoughts. I have hard wired my brain to depression and anxiety. Now I must undo it.

I hope I have not been to outspoken in my comment. You have always helped me with your wise comments and I have appreciated them greatly. I am simply trying to relay information that is quite new to me but has been so very helpful. Stop hurting yourself. Stop bashing yourself up. You are a wonderful, wise and witty woman. You are sober. You are successful is so many ways. You are not the woman that your thoughts tell you that you are. You are so much more than that.

Thank you IQW for your comment. 🙂 Not to worry about ‘too outspoken’ :-). I’m thinking the whole sober community would stand up if I were to say somebody ELSE was outspoken. :-D. Ghegheghe…

Yes, indeed: I do not know what happened with my ex-collegues and thinking about it indeed only causes pain. I wish I was like my cat who just shakes things off. 🙂 Which I am trying to do.
And yes to rewriting the brain from depression to living. 🙂 I believe all that and I have the Dispenza book on my shelf.
I’m not angry with my nephew, it hurts but I’m not angry with him. I’m angry with his dad who has been feeding them this. And my SIL who was not attentive enough to actually react to what he was saying and repeating. Well, let them sort out how they want to treat people. I do not really want to be at the receiving end of their callousness. 😦 So I, well take myself out of harms way. Familly. Can’t do with, can’t do without.

Big hug. Some excellent advice above.
My only advice is step back and remind yourself that much of what is distressing you is either from dreams, from long ago, or from partial information. All inferred.

And 12 year old boys love to stir the pot. Please don’t hold it against his mom. My son can be a real ass. I swear I didn’t teach him to be that way.

Get to the mirror, look at yourself and remind yourself you are strong, smart and competent. Getting sober is a huge feat. I don’t care why. You did it and you have been willing to change your life over and over again.

I like Byron Katie. That’s a good thought. And go back to Brene brown, the gifts of imperfection. You do not need approval or applause to be worthy. And you definitely do not need a sexual relationship with your boss to prove you deserve the job.

I hope tomorrow you wake up and remember that a woman who loves herself would go to work and focus on what can be done with the current resources. Leaving the pieces of the last job behind.

Thank you Anne! 🙂 And yes, beautiful reply from IQW. 🙂 Beautiful people around. 🙂
I need to re-read the sex-boss thing because I don’t think I meant it that way.
I went to work, it was difficult the first 10 minutes and then I got into it and it is a lovely, paid (!!) leave from my private life. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Need to get away from my past. I did guess I did a good job with my former boss. And then it comes back. :-).
Well well, we will see. Thank you for replying. ❤ It is tough to do this stuff alone, normies don't understand things like sober people do. Maybe I should extend my social range to ex-addicts too. Do you have friends from AA?
xx, Feeling

Hi Feeling!
I tried to think of some wonderful words of healing for you, but I think IQW, and Anne came up with good ones!
You are a strong woman! You have had some painful things happen to you, but that is not all of you!
It is tough stuff, and once we stop drinking we learn how to work with all of our thoughts and feelings.
But at least we have a chance now that we are sober!
What would you think or do if you thought you were 100% perfect right now?
Well, you are!!
xoxo
Wendy
PS – I am dreaming of biking, as we have cold, ice and snow right now.

Hi Wendy, yes to the ‘learn to work with all of our thoughts and feelings’ as in: I should. Not working out so well currently. 🙂 I’m feeling way better but things are strange. Need to really take a lot of care of me not to derail. Which is good, and as long as I do that I actually feel things make me stronger. Now just waiting for the dust to settle and see how it settles so I could possibly learn from this. 🙂
I bike every day 20-30 minutes to work, depending on where the wind comes from. 🙂 No real winter here yet. You could put a trainer bike in front of the screen and go through Google maps in streetview mode? I sometimes take a walk in another country through Google maps streetview. It is always beautiful weather on Google maps. 🙂
xx, Feeling